Prince William The Duke of Cambridge officially opens Japan House

20 September 2018

Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge formally opened Japan House London, the new cultural home of Japan in the UK, last week.

His Royal Highness was accompanied by Japan's Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Taro ASO and Mr Koji TSURUOKA, Ambassador of Japan to the UK.

Japan House London is a new permanent cultural venue on Kensington High Street. It aims to foster a greater understanding of Japan in the UK and to strengthen cultural, social and economic bonds between the two nations.

The Duke toured the building and tried his hand at copper-beating with a Japanese master craftsman; played chopstick games with school children; sampled sushi; discussed the Rugby World Cup 2019 and the Japan-UK Season of Culture and gave a toast in Japanese with Sake.

Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, gave a short speech in which he said: “This amazing building - Japan House London – is intended to be the bridge across which the best in ideas and creativity between the UK and Japan will flow. Here, we can build new and lasting relationships in culture, education and business and forge a better understanding of your wonderful country.”

Mr Koji Tsuruoka, Ambassador of Japan to the UK, said: “Our goal is not simply to open Japan House London, but to make it the new epicentre for Japanese cultural engagement in the UK and to make it one of the cornerstones for deepening the Japan-UK relationship.”

Japan House London has welcomed almost 150,000 guests since its public opening in June 2018.